Waikiki gets 'Inked'

Famed tattoo firm Hart and Huntington makes its mark here with a new shop

WITH THE OPENING of Hart and Huntington Tattoo Co. in Hawaii, Jared Kawashima is proving that not everything that happens in Vegas has to stay in Vegas.

A little more than a year after getting a tattoo at the original Las Vegas Strip shop made famous by the A&E Network reality show "Inked," the local attorney parlayed a casual conversation into the first of three new locations H&H plans to open this year.

"Like everything else in life, a lot of it is timing," Kawashima said last week. "We had to seize the opportunity."

GRAND OPENING Hart and Huntington Waikiki: Place: 2301 Kuhio Ave., Suite 101 When: 11 a.m. Jan. 18 at H&H Waikiki, and 10 p.m. at Osake Sushi Bar and Lounge Call: 922-3382 On the Web: www.hartand-huntingtonhawaii.com

EVERYTHING started when Kawashima asked about Hart and Huntington's expansion in Florida, a topic that had been mentioned during the first season of "Inked."

At the time, plans had fallen through, although H&H owner Carey Hart was believed to still be interested in the idea. Kawashima returned to Hawaii with the notion that he could convince the motocross legend that Waikiki was where he wanted to be.

"Within a day or two of getting back, I got in touch with Carey's agent and told him we were interested in opening a shop here," said Kawashima. "It just went like lightning."

THREE MONTHS later, Hart arrived with television cameras in tow to scout locations and film an episode for "Inked." He returned again in July when Kawashima and a hui of private investors found what they thought was a better location on the mauka edge of the International Marketplace.

H&H Waikiki opened for business on Nov. 18 with little fanfare, with 10 people walking in to get a tattoo on the first day. Kawashima expects that number to triple by the time the shop celebrates its grand opening next week.

"(Tattoos are) becoming more acceptable, especially here locally with the revival of the Hawaiian culture," said Kawashima. "The television shows have helped; it brings the tattoo world into people's living rooms when they wouldn't otherwise give it any thought."

WITH approximately 2,000 square feet of space fronting Kuhio Avenue, half of which is dedicated to retail merchandise, the shop transcends conventional stereotypes of what a tattoo parlor should be.

Plush couches and racks of T-shirts near the front entrance distract some from the real action going on in back, but the omnipresent buzz of a tattoo gun is the reminder of the true reason people visit a place like this. Two working areas are visible from the reception area, with two private rooms also available for those getting work done on sensitive areas.

Six tattoo artists are on staff at H&H Waikiki, the majority hired locally when Hart was in town last year. Riccy "Riccy Boy" Novera, Kory Oakland and Jack Omoto were all born and raised on Oahu, while Puerto Rico native Jonathan Montalvo has worked in local tattoo shops since 2002. Two others, Los Angeles-born Maxwell Kilbourne and Japanese native Wakako Yamamoto, were recruited by Hart in Vegas to make the move to Hawaii.

"We've got a pretty solid team," said Kawashima. "They can do everything but they each have different specialties."

It's almost as if Hart was casting for roles, he notes. Does that mean that viewers can expect to see footage from Hawaii during the upcoming third season of "Inked" later this year?

"I DON'T see why they wouldn't do at least some episodes over here," Kawashima said, "but I really don't know. That's totally up to Carey."

What is in the works, however, is a series of short video vignettes that will appear on H&H Waikiki's Web site. University of Hawaii football player Leonard Peters will be featured in the first episode, which is expected to be online in about a month.

Also planned are guest appearances by the stars of "Inked," who will travel to Hawaii in shifts to work in Waikiki. Hart himself will be in the shop every couple of months, starting with next week's grand opening celebration on Jan 18.

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